부산대학교 도서관

A 49-year-old man visited an ex-doctor because of general fatigue for two weeks. Laboratory tests showed severe jaundice and liver dysfunction, but he refused in-hospital treatment. After one week, the condition deteriorated, and he was referred to our hospital. Because of excessive alcohol consumption, remarkable jaundice, leukocyte level elevation, and hepatomegaly, the patient was diagnosed with severe alcoholic hepatitis. Although steroid administration was started, his condition worsened gradually, and he died 30 days after the first visit. It was found that HEV-IgA antibody was positive, and the further examination of the serum stored at the first visit revealed acute infection with HEV genotype 4 (new Sapporo strain). Although this case was similar to severe alcoholic hepatitis, it is thought that acute infection with HEV was involved in the cause of acute liver failure in the patient with chronic liver injury.